Five for the Fifth: FEBRUARY 2016 Edition

Welcome to FlixChatter’s primary blog series! As is customary for this monthly feature, I get to post five random news item/observation/poster, etc. and then turn it over to you to share your take on that given topic. You can see the previous five-for-the-fifth postshere.

1. Well, it’s February and V-day is next weekend. It seems that there are always a slew of romance-themed films coming out in February — and it’s the month that’s undoubtedly cornered by Nicholas Sparks. He’s got yet another one of his romance drivel drama out called The Choice, and it made me realize that I’ve only seen ONE film based on his books, The Notebook and since then I have no desire to see another project of his again.

Heck I’d rather watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies ten times over before I rent, oh I dunno, Dear John? [Interestingly enough, the actor who’s in the choice was in Seth Grahame-Smith’s crazy mashup Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, ahah] But hey, obviously Sparks must’ve strike a chord with people otherwise his movies won’t continually get made.

So out of curiosity, do you like Nicholas Sparks’ movies? ….

2.Speaking of February, glad there are definitely alternatives to romantic films. Yes I know many of you are excited for Deadpool [which I had just watched last night], but another movie out later this month that’s somehow escaped me is Triple 9. My goodness, how in the world have I not blogged about this movie before? This is a movie I’d watch just for the cast! Casey Affleck, Kate Winslet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Teresa Palmer, Gal Gadot, Clifton Collins Jr. and Aaron Paul. Check out the character posters below:

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A gang of criminals and corrupt cops plan the murder of a police officer in order to pull off their biggest heist yet across town.

Check out the trailer:

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Now granted I haven’t seen any of director John Hillcoat‘s films yet (The Proposition, Lawless, The Road) which all sound so dark and bleak, but I’m looking forward to seeing this one. I always love a good heist movie!

Will you be watching Triple 9? …

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Since 1986, Pixar has made so many great animated classics, most have stand the test of time. There are 16 total Pixar films so far, three of them are sequels (per Wiki). With the exception of Cars, Cars 2 and the latest one, The Good Dinosaur, I have seen ALL of Pixar movies and pretty much love them all in varying degrees. Though I’ve been watching Pixar films for a couple of decades, it’s cool that some people have just discovered them. Jordan just posted his review of Inside Out which he loved, and he’s never seen a Pixar movie since he was a kid.

Now, would you name three of your absolute favorite Pixar movies? ….

4.I’m so bummed that I missed Hail, Caesar! press screening last Tuesday thanks to the darn snow storm. Now, I’m not one of those people who anticipate the Coens’ movie every time it comes out, but I couldn’t wait to see this one so we’ll definitely go see it on Friday night.

I was reading an interview with the Coens on Variety and one of the questions was the frequent collaborations with the same people. Ethan said they’ve done four films with George Clooney and three with Josh Brolin, and probably a dozen with Joel’s wife Frances McDormand.

The Coens on set w/ Josh Brolin & George Clooney

Here’s Ethan’s answer as to why they tend to work with the same actors:

It’s a combination of things. Personally liking them figures into it. You got to not only work with them, but also have lunch; you’re spending time with them. When they are good at what they do, you want to spend more time with them. It’s self-perpetuating. But frankly, it’s also a bit of a crutch. If you know them well, you think: “What would be interesting for them to play?”

I personally don’t mind the frequent collaborations of the Coens and some of his actors. Some other fruitful director/actor collaborations I like are Christopher Nolan + Michael Caine/Christian Bale, Wes Anderson + Bill Murray and Ridley Scott + Russell Crowe, just to name a few. But even after three films, I’m already sick of seeing David O. Russell movies with Bradley Cooper/Jennifer Lawrence combo [shrug]

What director/actor collaborations you think you’d never grow tired of?…

5. This month Five for the Fifth’s guest is Tiffany from Presents from the Past blog! It’s a site dedicated to modern reimaginings of the fashion and beauty of period dramas, so naturally her question revolves around costume design.

Some of her favorite costumes are from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the TV movies Lady Chatterly’s Lover and The Go Between. Click each thumbnail to see a larger image:

The Man from UNCLE

Lady Chatterly’s Lover

The Go Between

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For me personally, since I’m also a big fan of period dramas, I LOVE Carey Mulligan’s clothes in Far from the Madding Crowd, especially this one:

So which 2015 film(s) you think have the best costumes?

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Well, that’s it for February 2016 edition of Five for the Fifth. Now, please pick a question out of the five above or better yet, do ‘em all! 😀

1. I’d rather watch ANY other films than seeing a film based on Sparks’ work. I’m glad that I’ve never dated any women who are into his work, lol. I would consider it a torture if someone makes me watch The Choice!

2. I’m so looking forward to Triple 9, a violent crime action thriller, definitely my genre. Just FYI, Hillcoat’s films are very violent and this one looks to be in that same style.

3. The last animated film I saw from Pixar was Toy Story 3 but my favorites are The Toy Story trilogy, Wall-E and The Incredibles.

4. Scorsese and Leo combo has done some great work for a decade or so; Nolan/Bale has bee good, hopefully they’ll team up again soon. My dream would be for them to return and make The Dark Knight Returns where Bruce Wayne is an old man training in a young protege.

Yeah it seems that it’s wise for me to stay away from NS’ movies. I’m a fan of the romance genre too but seriously, his penchant for developing over-the-top obstacles for his romantic pairings is annoying and there hasn’t been a single lead actor (or actress for that matter) in any of his films to actually tempt me to see it. Boy I sure hope my new crush Sam Riley stays the heck a way from his movies!!

2 – I’ve been looking forward to Triple 9 for quite some time. The director is Australian and the one he did with Viggo (The Road) is must watch stuff. Bleak, but amazing stuff. He doesn’t do light hearted material haha!

3 – I’ve only seen inside out!

4 – I love The Coens working with Clooney. He seems at his best when they direct him, compared to other efforts where he seems on auto-pilot. And I love Frances McDormand too. Scorsese and Leo are pretty great together as well

5 – Mad Max, Crimson Peak, The Assassin, Jauja, all those had amazing costume design for different reasons

1. I think the only Nicholas Sparks adaptation I’ve seen all the way through was “The Notebook”, which I remember thinking was…fine…? Kinda goopy and sentimental, yeah, but not any more than when Bette Davis was starring in these same kinds of movies in the ’40s. I don’t have any real interest in the Nicholas Sparks adaptations, beyond kind of chuckling over the fact that every time I see a trailer for one it looks like EXACTLY the same movie that comes out at the same time every year; but clearly there’s an audience that likes ’em, and as long as they’re not hateful works I don’t see the harm.

2. Just saw the trailer for “Triple 9”, and it peaked my interest; but then I’m always a sucker for a good crime drama. 🙂 I thought “The Road” was pretty good and “Lawless” was OK; never seen “The Proposition”, but I’ve heard nothing but TERRIFIC things about it. Hoping for the best with this one.

4. I’ll second Wes Anderson and Bill Murray — I think Anderson draws colors out of Murray that no other director does. I’ve also loved the work Christian Bale has done with David O. Russell, and every time John Goodman shows up in a Coen Brothers movie it’s something special.

5. “Man From UNCLE” wins for me. But then I can’t get enough of those mod ’60s fashions. 😉

I think The Notebook was tolerable, though I like the main characters when they’re older, as I always find Gosling annoying. Yep, Sparks’ movies seem identical to one another and soooo predictable. Yeah I suppose that’s fine that people like ’em, it’s true at least it’s not spiteful or mean-spirited.

I always think Hillcoat’s films are too dark but this one has the heist thing going and I always enjoy heist flicks, esp with THIS cast!

I love how varied Pixar works is when you think about it, and they rarely miss.

“…every time John Goodman shows up in a Coen Brothers movie it’s something special” Very true though I didn’t care for him in Inside Llewyn Davis.

You like 60s fashion eh? I was about to see this British crime drama Brighton Rock, set in the 60s, have you seen it?

I’d definitely agree with you that the older versions of the “Notebook” leads are more interesting than the young ingenues…but then I guess my being MUCH more interested in James Garner and (the divine) Gena Rowlands than in Gosling and McAdams having beautiful young white person problems kind of explains why I’m not the target audience for this sort of thing…

Were you going to watch the 2010 version of “Brighton Rock”? I know there’s been a couple versions of it (the one starring Richard Attenborough’s supposed to be pretty good, if I remember correctly), never seen any of them, I’m afraid. Let me know what you think!

Yes that’s what I always say to people that the older versions of the lead characters in The Notebook made the story more compelling to me. I should be the target audience for Sparks’ movies as I like romance films but I’m more into Austen or British dramas, they’re just less cliched.

Oh I meant the 2010 version as I’m really into this British actor Sam Riley at the moment and want to check out as many of his work as possible. I think people think the original is better, but I’m still curious to check it out!

Happy Friday, Ruth!
1 – I’ve seen about 4 movies without realising they were Nicholas Sparks. I can’t say I love them, but I don’t hate them either!
2 – I only heard about Triple 9 for the first time last week, but check out that cast! Can’t wait to see it now 🙂
3 – I love Pixar far too much to list 3 wahhh!
4 – When the Coen Brothers and George Clooney are involved, you just can’t go wrong 🙂
5 – Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenant really stand out for me 🙂
– Allie

1. I’d go to the dentist before a Nicholas Sparks film.
2. Hadn’t heard of it, either, but like the looks of the cast! Will be curious to read the reviews.
3. I remember in 1986 I happened to be a Disney World and they just opened up shop. Was it really 30 years ago? Good grief. Up, Finding Nemo, and Brave.
4. I’m in the adoration camp. They can do no wrong.
5. I’m going to echo with the others and say Crimson Peak.

1. No. A Walk to Remember is the only Nicholas Sparks movie I can stand.
2. Yes! That cast list is fantastic!
3. I had a list about this last year. I named Wall-E, Toy Story 3 and Ratatouille as my top 3 but now replacing Ratatouille with Inside Out
4. Di Caprio/Scorsese, definitely.
5. I have to agree with The Man from UNCLE. I did like the clothes in Spectre, though I’m not sure if it counts as one of the best.

1. I love love the Notebook, I mean how many people hate that movie, not many even those who don’t want to admit liking it. But that was a great movie and every one since then is just trying to be like it and trying to capture the essence of what made that film so great. Every Sparks adaption I have seen, honestly just sucks. I don’t know how else to phrase it, like it has so much promise but it just doesn’t come out right.
2. Triple 9, I had never heard of it either, but I’d watch it. I did like Hillcoat’s The Road film.
3. To be honest I rarely catch up with watching cartoon movies. I usually have every intention of seeing them and I never end up sitting down and actually watching them. Been meaning to see Inside Out for like what is now forever.
4. OHHH I love this question. I love all the Wes Anderson ensembles and how he uses Bill Murray, the Wilson brothers, Jason Schwartzman and Adrian Brody. Also love the family that Tarantino has created, can’t go wrong with Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and Tim Roth.
5. Thank you for mentioning her blog I am going to check her out. Sounds like something I would like too. I really liked the costumes in Carol, love anything that’s 1940’s-1950’s-ish style. Also can’t go wrong with Downton Abbey, love the beautiful 1920’s inspired outfits and flapper-esque headwear.
What a great round-up of questions!

Hello m’dear! Thanks for indulging me w/ my new crush, you are awesome!

Do people hate The Notebook? I think that might be people’s fave from Nicholas Sparks and one of the most enduring romances. I like that one, I just never had any interest in anything else based on his books.

Oh you’ve seen The Road? How bleak is it? I like Viggo but it looks REALLY tough to watch.

Ah I see, well I think Pixar makes such great stories, you should give it a chance. BRAVE is adorable, it’s set in Scotland so it looks unlike any other. That’s one of my faves.

Bill Murray is so much fun to watch in anything, esp in Wes Anderson’s movies. I love the two Uma Thurman movies QT’s done, esp Kill Bill.

Tiffany’s blog is awesome, I bet you know what I love it given my penchant for period dramas. Cate Blanchett wears ANYTHING well, I mean her dresses in Cinderella are more fun to look at than Cinderella’s herself. Thanks for joining the fun, Queen Mel!

Yes The Road is bleak, but it’s pretty good. It’s worth watching. Yes I need to totally give in and watch some Pixar movies, I am sure they are great. Inside Out is on my to-do list for sure. Oh yes I have been checking out Tiffany’s blog love it too! Well of course I love joining in on the fun of questions and talking about cute crushes Lady Ruth!

Hello dahling! If you want some recommendations about Pixar, check out Brave as it’s set in Scotland so it looks quite different from other Pixar movies. For some reason I’m not as in love w/ Inside Out as others.

1. Shamefully I have seen six or so of these Sparks adaptations. Glutton for punishment I guess. I would say Nights in Rodanthe and Safe Haven are the best (but neither are remotely close to being great films). Among the worst – The Last Song and yes, Dear John. Don’t rent it Ruth! 😉

2. I saw the trailer for Triple 9 a few weeks ago and it looks interesting. Not sure about it but it has me curious.

3. I am such a schlep when it comes to animation. They rarely stick with me and I often get tripped up trying to recall them. That said “Up” would be my favorite Pixar picture. Such a huge fan of that one.

4. I would say my favorite all-time would be John Huston and Humphrey Bogart. Such a great friendship and it showed in their creative chemistry. The Coens automatically come to mind as well. Such great use of their actors. Big fan of Scorsese and DiCaprio’s chemistry as well.

5. Hmmm, toughie. I was going back over my top 10 and it was hard to nail one down. Maybe Star Wars? 😀

WOW, you might be the only one here so far who’ve seen that many Sparks’ movies. Oh, Nights in Rodanthe is the one w/ Richard Gere and Diane Lane right? That might be tolerable. But I have zero interest in seeing those two worst ones you mentioned, meh, esp Dear John as I can’t stand Tatum.

Triple 9 looks like an action pack heist flick but w/ that cast it seems that it might have a more layered plot instead of just big dumb fun stuff.

Hey it’s totally ok that you’re not into animation, I mean there are some genres I just can’t get into as well. Glad you like UP, that marriage scene always gets me teary-eyed.

Pardon my lack of info about classic films, which Huston/Bogart films are a must-see? Btw, I saw an advert for the Maltese Falcon before Hail, Caesar and I have a feeling you’d go see that.

About me

Hello I'm Ruth! Film is in my blood. LOVE movies of all genres, from Jane Austen to James Bond. Official blogger for the Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF). I've recently completed my first feature screenplay & produced my first short film HEARTS WANT. Visit facebook.com/heartswantfilm

Trivia on Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve noted that he's fully aware of the immense pressure he's under, and how hardcore fans of the original view the prospect of a new film: "I know that every single fan will walk into the theater with a baseball bat. I'm aware of that and I respect that, and it's okay with me because it's art. Art is risk, and I have to take risks. It's gonna be the biggest risk of my life but I'm okay with that. For me it's very exciting... It's just so inspiring, I'm so inspired. I've been dreaming to do sci-fi since I was 10 years old, and I said 'no' to a lot of sequels. I couldn't say 'no' to Blade Runner 2049 (2017). I love it too much, so I said, 'Alright, I will do it and give everything I have to make it great.'"

Initially, Denis Villeneuve was against the concept of a sequel to Blade Runner (1982), as he felt it could violate the original. But after reading the script, which he and Harrison Ford have described as "one of the best" they have ever read, he committed to the project, stating that Ford was already involved at that point: "To be very honest with you, Harrison was part of the project before I arrived. He was attached to it right from the start with Ridley [Scott]. I met him and he's honestly one of the nicest human beings I've met and is one of my favorite actors of all time, so for me it's a lot of pleasure."

Jared Leto was introduced to Denis Villeneuve by his close friend Jean-Marc Vallée, who had directed Leto in Dallas Buyers Club (2013).

Emily Blunt was considered for a role but she declined due to her pregnancy.

This sequel is set to be released on October 6, 2017, just ten years and one day after the Final Cut version of the first film premiered in Los Angeles.

The sequel which takes place 30 years after Blade Runner (1982) is the story of new Blade Runner Officer K (Ryan Gosling) as he searches Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) whom has disappeared. In Harrison Ford's earlier science fiction film Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) which took place 30 years after Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), The film's main protagonists Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) are searching for Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) whom disappeared. Harrison Ford played Han Solo in the Star Wars films.